The Best Men’s Face Wash for Oily Skin

Oily skin can be a nightmare. People with oily skin tend to have an almost-uncontrollable and constant sheen, they tend to suffer from breakouts and acne more often than those with normal or combination skin, and oily skin isn’t limited to the face – it can cause breakouts or skin problems all over the body but especially on the back, neck, and shoulders.

Contrary to popular belief, oily skin is not caused by a lack of cleansing. In fact, over-cleansing oily skin may work to exacerbate the problem further. Instead of aggressive scrubbing and harsh ingredients, you need to bring balance to your skin when it tends to produce more oil than it should.

Thankfully, there’s a wash for that. Here’s a rundown of the best men’s face wash for oily skin. But first, let’s talk a bit more about your skin type.

SKIN TYPES: THE BASICS

If you’re a man who suffers from oily skin, you need to be sure you’re using the right type of cleanser for your skin type. But how do you know what type of skin you have in the first place? Well, there are four common skin types. They are:

• Dry skin
• Normal skin
• Oily skin
• Combination skin

We won’t spend too much time talking about dry or normal skin. If you’re reading this, they probably don’t apply to you. Instead, let’s look at oily and combination skin.

How do you know if your skin is oily? It’s pretty self-explanatory. Men with oily skin have, simply put, shinier faces than men with normal or dry skin. You’re also more likely to experience breakouts because that excess oil gets trapped in your pores along with dirt, debris, and dead skin cells.

But, to be sure, you can do the blot test. After you’ve washed your face, wait around thirty minutes. Then, take a piece of blotting paper (you can find these at the drug store) and gently pat individual areas of your face. Try your forehead, your nose, and your cheeks. This zone, also known as the t-zone, is the greatest indicator of whether or not your have oily skin.

Then, examine the paper by holding it up to the light. If it’s dry, you’ve got nothing to worry about. If there’s oil that came from your nose and forehead, you probably have combination skin. And if it’s saturated, your skin is very likely oily skin.

WHY IS MY SKIN OILY? 

How did you get oily skin? There are a few factors that affect the type of skin you’ve got.

Everyone’s body produces oils naturally. It’s to keep your skin soft and protected. So, it’s actually a good thing to have some oil. But very oily skin can be problematic, and it can be caused by a few different factors.

First, there are hormones. Everyone’s got them – not only women. As your hormones fluctuate, your sebaceous glands are stimulated. In turn, these glands produce sebum, the oil responsible for your acne and blemishes.

Then, there’s stress. And, as you might expect, stress activates the hormones we just talked about. That, in turn, gets those darn sebaceous glands going.

While experts aren’t entirely sure about this, diet is believed to have an effect on oily skin in men. The general rule of thumb is that the better you eat, the better your skin will be. But milk products, refined sugars, saturated fats (think steak), excess salt and alcohol can cause your skin to be oily.

There are other, lesser factors that cause oily skin in men. Your climate and the weather can affect your skin type, as can your current face care routine. In fact, over-cleansing your skin can strip your face of essential oils, causing your body to overcompensate and become oily.

THE TROUBLE WITH OILY SKIN 

So what’s the trouble with oily skin? We’ll keep this short. If you’ve got oily skin, you already know the issues.

Oily skin can increase the likelihood that you’ll break out. The oil can clog your pores, causing acne, blackheads, and whiteheads. Plus, it’s embarrassing. Oily skin is visible – your face is shiny and it lends the appearance of constantly sweating.

Thankfully, there’s something you can do about it. The best men’s face wash for oily skin will contain certain ingredients that can help stop oily skin dead in its tracks. Want to know what those are? Read on.

INGREDIENTS IN FACE WASH FOR OILY SKIN 

When you go shopping for your oily skin face wash for men, there are ingredients you should look for that are great for your skin type.

CHARCOAL

Charcoal is a double-edged sword, but that’s because it’s so effective. Many products contain an ingredient called activated charcoal, which helps to purify the skin and remove excess oils. These products are excellent!

But many sites across the web recommend that you use a charcoal mask. Like, straight from the bag. Don’t do it! It’ll stain your clothes and countertops. Plus, it will over dry your skin, making your oily skin even worse.

SALICYLIC ACID  (BHA)

Salicylic acid is great for removing excess oil, and for eliminating blackheads and acne. It’s a beta hydroxy acid, which means when you use it your skin will look brighter, too!

GLYCOLIC ACID (AHA)

Glycolic acid is another natural compound that’s great for men’s oily skin. It acts as a natural (chemical) exfoliant, meaning your pores are less likely to become clogged. As a result, you’ll have fewer blackheads and less acne.

ALOE  

You’ve probably put aloe on a sunburn. But did you know it’s also great for other purposes? Aloe has natural antibacterial properties and it’s super moisturizing. That means your skin won’t be working overtime to create oils.

THE BEST MEN’S FACE WASH FOR OILY SKIN 

Okay! Ready to go shopping? Here are the best men’s face washes for oily skin. Take a look, then choose your favorite.

Jack Black Deep Dive Glycolic Facial Cleanser $22

 As you can tell by the name, the most popular men’s face wash for oily skin, Jack Black’s Deep Dive contains glycolic acid. It’s a natural exfoliant that serves to break down the bonds between your face and dead skin cells. As a result, you’ll have brighter skin, less prone to acne. There’s other good stuff in here, too! You’ll find green tea extract, sunflower seed oil, olive leaf extract, all of which are very soothing to the skin. Rosemary extract contains antibacterial properties and aloe vera soothes and moisturizes. What’s more, is that most of the natural ingredients are certified organic!

Clinique For Men Charcoal Face Wash $30

Clinique has a great reputation for quality skincare products. And their fragrance-free Men’s Charcoal Face Wash is one of the best men’s oily skin facial wash products on the market. It contains charcoal, which purifies the skin and removes toxins. Men who use it say it leaves skin clean, not tight, and helps to eliminate blackheads.

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser $13.99

 CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser is a water-based wash for oily skin. Glycerin will gently hydrate, and it also contains niacinamide. What’s that, you ask? Vitamin B3! Vitamin B3 will help to even your skin tone, removing dark spots and skin blemishes.

Read our coverage if you’re curious about learning more about Cerave Facial Cleansers.

SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser $47

If your skincare routine consists of a quick face wash and nothing more, then you benefit from two-in-one products more than most. This cleanser that also exfoliates are the best defense against the man with oily skin who doesn’t seek to add more to his already busy schedule. It’s gentle enough for twice-daily use and powerful enough to deep cleanse the pores and help shed dead skin cells with AHA and BHA natural exfoliators.

PCA Skin Oily & Problem Daily Facial Cleanser $33

Specifically formulated for oily/problem skin, this gentle cleanser also harnesses the exfoliating power of AHAs. Derived from lactic acid found in milk and sugars, this AHA is as cleansing as it is moisturizing. But this formula doesn’t rely on that moisture alone to soothe your skin while it works to control oil, it also contains soothing aloe vera leaf juice to soften, soothe, and ease inflammation that makes breakouts appear worse.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser For Oily Skin $20

Roche-Posay has tested this cleanser on acne-prone skin to be absolutely sure that it’s non-comedogenic and beneficial. The results? Cleaner skin without any over-drying or negative impacts on the skin’s pH balance, all thanks to the oil-free and soap-free formula that utilizes the purifying power of zinc picolinate – something we don’t often hear of being mentioned but we’d like to see more of.

EltaMD Deep Pore Foaming Facial Cleanser $25

In a world where pollution and stress is a common end to the day, you needed a heavy-duty cleanser to remove all that life from the surface of your skin and deep within your pores. EltaMD developed this facial cleanser with that need in mind, but what they really created was a deep-cleanser free of oil, soap, and harsh ingredients, that leaves the skin feeling nourished but clean.

Osmia Organics Black Clay Soap $24

It doesn’t look like much, but this facial cleansing bar will give you a complete cleanse, twice a day, for anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks (as long as you store it properly). The bar is packed with all things skin-beneficial: Australian black clay and Dead Sea mud to draw out impurities, almond, avocado, and jojoba oils to restore moisture, plant-based oils filled with antioxidants, and all the nutrients of coconut milk. Excess oil doesn’t stand a chance but then neither does dehydration, free radicals, or dullness.

FINAL THOUGHTS 

There are scores of reasons why you have oily skin. Hormones, stress, and even the local climate play a role! But by choosing the right product for your skin type, you too can have clear and naturally bright-looking skin.